The Real Blonde


Photo Courtesy of the Sundance Film Festival

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Reviews, by: Karen Jaehne | Richard Schwartz

"Caught In The Web" Inter(net)views, RealVideo:
The cast as 28k RealVideo, 56k RealVideo, or 100k RealVideo.
Elizabeth Berkley as 28k RealVideo, 56k RealVideo, or 100k RealVideo.
Matthew Modine as 28k RealVideo, 56k RealVideo, or 100k RealVideo.
Marlo Thomas as 28k RealVideo, 56k RealVideo, or 100k RealVideo.

"Caught In The Web" Inter(net)views, QuickTime:
"Net Newbie" with Elizabeth Berkley (1.2mb)
"Limited Resources" with Elizabeth Berkley (0.8mb)
"Showgirls" with Elizabeth Berkley (2.1mb)
"Sense of Humor" with Elizabeth Berkley (1.1mb)
"Eternal Fame" with Elizabeth Berkley (0.9mb)
"Up-Close" with Elizabeth Berkley (0.5mb)
"Hair Color" with Elizabeth Berkley (0.7mb)
"Personal Favorites" with Elizabeth Berkley (1.4mb)
"Online Experience" with Tom DiCillo (2.7mb)
"A Few Ideas" with Tom DiCillo (0.8mb)
"A Changing Event" with Tom DiCillo (0.9mb)
"No Prep Time" with Daryl Hannah (1.1mb)
"Close to Home" with Catherine Keener (1.0mb)
"Nyah-Nyah" with Matthew Modine (0.4mb)
"In My Underwear" with Matthew Modine (1.1mb)
"Making Snowballs" with Matthew Modine (0.6mb)
"Target Practice" with Matthew Modine (1.0mb)
"Home Sweet Home" with Matthew Modine (0.6mb)
"Happy Ending" with Matthew Modine (1.2mb)
"The Real Thing" with Matthew Modine (1.7mb)
"A Real Snowman" with Matthew Modine (0.6mb)
"Introduction" with Marlo Thomas (0.7mb)
"Whoopie Cushion" with Marlo Thomas (1.3mb)
"What is Real?" with Marlo Thomas (1.4mb)
"On Marlo Thomas" with Bridgette Wilson (0.8mb)

With The Real Blonde, his fourth film at Sundance, Tom DiCillo entrenches himself as the ultimate satirist of a culture rapidly losing its ability to discern between true beauty and synthetic icons who masquerade behind artistic facades. He commands an exquisite, nonjudgmental insight into a world very familiar to him, establishing characters, both sinful and virtuous, who search for meaning in a vapid and superficial industry.

A contemporary comedy set in Manhattan, The Real Blonde centers on Joe (Matthew Modine), a struggling actor, and Mary (Catherine Keener), a successful high-fashion makeup artist. The tension in their relationship is nearing a boiling point. Meanwhile, Joe's actor/catering buddy Bob (Maxwell Caulfield) lands a starring role on a soap in his consuming quest for true love, symbolized in his mind only by sleeping with a "real blonde." Bob's costar is the beautiful, and very blonde, Kelly (Daryl Hannah). As Joe strains to keep his integrity and Mary analyzes her hostility, their tale tangles with an ever-widening circle of friends and lovers, acquaintances and colleagues in increasingly comic and complex ways. All are unified by their common goal to find what is truly important in life, and each one has a particular take on what that is.

Gathering an impressive ensemble cast which includes both new and familiar faces, along with the always stellar Keener, DiCillo nimbly straddles the line between biting sarcasm and tender comedy. He reveals a singular ability to present ethically questionable people and situations without prejudice, letting the audience develop their own opinions while they laugh at the people on the screen and themselves.

- Trevor Groth

Directed by: Tom DiCillo
Written by: Tom DiCillo
Starring: Elizabeth Berkley, Daryl Hannah, Catherine Keener, Matthew Modine, Marlo Thomas, Bridgette Wilson, Denis Leary, Kathleen Turner, Maxwell Caulfield, Buck Henry, Christopher Lloyd
Produced by: Marcus Viscidi, Tom Rosenberg
Original Music by: Jim Farmer